The adhesive tape and film industry usually provides for the manufacture of such tapes and films in relatively large lots to take advantage of economies of scale. Tape products are elongate strips of a synthetic material to which an adhesive is applied. In some instances adhesive may be applied to both sides of tape, and the tape may be clear or colored. Films and the like are usually overlay type materials which are intended to transmit light therethrough. In the case of clear tape and clear films, the adhesive layer will also usually be clear, and highly adhesive. Hereinafter, only the term tape will be used, although all types of tapes and films are indicated by the use of the term "tape."
Usually the tape or film is manufactured and stored on a type of relatively large roll. In order to make the tape product more readily useable by the ultimate consumer, the tape may go through several processes to cut it into various widths and to roll it onto a smaller spool. Often the smaller spool is a cardboard core onto which the freshly cut tape is wound. In many cases, a large roll of tape material may go through several processing steps in which the tape is sequentially reduced to smaller and smaller sizes. It is difficult for a smaller manufacturing operation to directly convert from the largest size roll to the smallest size roll directly.
The processing of tape involves unrolling it from a storage roll, putting it through a cutting operation, and rolling it onto a smaller roll. It is the unrolling step which normally creates excessive noise. As the tape is pulled from the roll, the separation line is not constant and even and has a tendency to "jump." Even where the jump is short and the tape appears to leave the roll evenly, significant amounts of noise are generated. This noise can be heard with any roll of tape as the peeling noise when tape is removed from a roll. The amount of noise is proportional to the strength of the adhesive.
The noise generated from the separation line is transmitted to the tape portion which was just removed from the tape roll. Since the just removed portion is placed under tension to pull it away from the roll, it acts as a vibrating membrane or speaker. The principle is much like an early gramophone where the sounds were mechanically amplified from the needle with a relatively larger sized membrane.
Where larger tape rolls are processed, the membrane size available for noise generation is increased. The increased membrane size physically produces a greater volume of noise. In addition, most tape processing operations include a high speed transfer of tape. The high speed character of the operation increases both the noise, the frequency of the noise and the breadth of noise frequencies output by the operations.
In addition to tape production and cutting, other devices utilize tape rolls. Where tags and labels are applied to packaging, an over lamination tape is typically dispensed automatically from a roll. In other cases, the labels have adhesive backing and are similarly removed from a roll. In some instances the tape, label, and laminate noise is the most severe noise problem encountered by the production facility.
Where noise levels are such that employees properly need to use hearing protection, the employee productivity and awareness levels suffer. A noisy work environment and hearing protection effectively removes one of the employees' senses and increases the likelihood of an injury.
Further, where tape is used in a production environment, the tendency of the tape to make significant sized jumps or jerks from the tape roll can disrupt the processing machinery downstream. If the tape is removed from the roll unevenly, it can cause jerking action at the downstream processing portion. The jerking action can cause mis-alignment of the packaging operation, bunching of the over lamination layer, and in some instances cause physical damage to the machine. The ability of the tape to jerk can also occur at a harmonic frequency. Where harmonics are present, the ability to severely damage the machine and process is present.
Another problem is equipment compatibility. Where the supply roll mechanism has a brake or other material control structure, space needed for a silencing structure can prevent or severely limit the use of a silencing structure. Other limitations arise from any other structures which may be present at and around the supply roll.
What is therefore needed is a system and method which will enable significantly quiet operation in the removal of tape from a roll, regardless of the machine or operation in use for removing tape from a roll. The needed system and method should eliminate the possibility of harmonics in the machinery associated with the removal of the tape. The needed system and method should not significantly increase the tensioning of the machinery accepting the tape for processing.
The needed system and method should not significantly increase the labor and time necessary to operate the tape processing machinery and should be user friendly. The needed system and method for silencing tape noise should synergize with the tape processing machine to improve the overall operation and performance of the processing machine.